Scope and Content Note
The papers of Ambrose W. Thompson span the years 1847-1960, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1860-1882. The collection focuses on his business undertakings in railroads, canals, steamships and land speculations. The papers are fairly evenly distributed from 1860 until Thompson's death in 1882, with a slight concentration during the years from 1865 to 1875. The collection is organized into nine series: Memoranda Book , Family Correspondence , General Correspondence , Letterbooks , Business Papers , Chiriqui Improvement Company File , Financial Papers , Miscellany , and Oversize .
The first part of the Chiriqui Company File , 1851-1882, contains the company's papers until Thompson's death, and the second portion, dated 1883-1960, relates to various attempts to revive the firm in the 1940s. Correspondence has been removed from the first portion of the company papers and filed in the General Correspondence series together with Thompson's other business-related communications.
Included in the Family Correspondence are letters to and from Ambrose's son, Ambrose, Jr., who was also involved in his father's enterprises and did a considerable amount of traveling and negotiating to promote them.
Prominent correspondents include James Mitchell Ashley, Edward Fitzgerald Beale, Simon Cameron, John A. Dix, William Maxwell Evarts, Lucius Fairchild, Gustavus Vasa Fox, William H. Hulbert, Thomas Francis Meagher, Francis B. Pierpont, S. C. Pomeroy, David D. Porter, Fitz-John Porter, Samuel Shellabarger, Franz Sigel, Caleb B. Smith, Richard W. Thompson, John Palmer Usher, and Henry A. Wise.